well xmas is just round the corner , and we need to get organized for the free bonanza ,i was thinking about a meeting to find out what we need and have for it and how we are going to do it , also a poster for people now to think about what they can give to the shop ,funny enuf the total opposite to any thing happening in retail at the moment , so we could have fun with that ,

Me and a friend were thinking of things we could do to raise awearness about how much is thrown into skips by supermarkets (particularly around christmas time). We thought that during the free shop for about two days we could fill the window of the gallery with skipped food, right up to the top so that it's visible from the outside as a pile of food, with some kind of signage letting people know what it is. There would be someone around to answer questions and we could contact the press about it. People could take the food if they fancied, or not. The point is it's a really public space to make a statement like that. and it would look cool.
let me know what you think, I'll post this on the working group forum aswell as it kind of affects the cafe too.

get people talking a bit about it first i guess , then work out when to have the meeting , but sooner the better , sometime next week would be good , and yes try and get as many people as poss , helen and danny and co !, this is not just a visual art thing

i was thinking an we get some shelves so we can put some in then ,

also some bucket raking trips would be cool , a sort of team building event arrr !

ideally for me we could meet sometime before friday. anybody got a preference?

i think the food idea sounds good, its gopod to have an artistic slant on proceedsings since we will be in the gallery, like dai mentioned in the other thread.

I also take dai's point about the fragile ecology of skips- could we do a few trips in the runup to december and store the choice stuff somewhere till the fun begins on the 15th?

the more we can get done before the start of december the better for me really cos i will be out of the country after that until the start of the show.

i'm planning to do a few collage editions with the marks n spencer hamper brochure, aiming to knock a couple out to promote the show soon.

logistically speaking, things we need are:

a way of displaying the free stuff
enough free stuff
a plan for promotions
signage

s far as slogans and such i like the term "karmic retail" Martin and iu were discussing a while back about the word "free" being bopth necessary but misleading- might be good to emphasise the bringing as well as the taking.

"TKXMAXX- a merry celebration of Christmas culture-the festive incarnation of the Forest free shop! That’s right! new and improved! Now with 100% more gallery!
This festive art occurrence will provide an alternative to the Christmas shopping experience by adopting and subverting the aesthetics and principles of the retail trade.
Its buy none get one free! TKXMAXX will be one part investigation into the dark side of the horn of plenty, one part space for found objects and artists editions- all available for a one-time-only special price of nothing! Every priceless item in the shop will be on sale for free!
TKXMAXX revolves around the tenet of “karmic retail”- take what you want and leave what you can- this is a participation event so if you want to donate your unwanted stuff or use your skills in the space to make new artist’s editions from found objects just drop by or get in touch with the visual arts working group through our email- totalkunstsubmissions@yahoo.co.uk"

i liked dai's idea about the staff shirts.

what about putting that bit of the slade song where noddy shouts "it's christ-maaaas" slowed down and on a constant loop? sanity-shattering!

Lovely posters!
I'll a post on both the peoples forum and the forest working group about the scavenging day on the 25th. I reckon just ask people to find and bring what they can but if they want someone to scavenge with to come to the forest at 2 and meet up with someone.
prizes for the best finds? Winners decided at 5pm.
Bill is it still ok to use your van for pickups?
everyone tell everyone.

Don't know if you're the right person to ask abut this, but since most of my FB Forest messages have come from you I figured you'd be a good place to start.

I have a vanload (or possibly 2 carloads) of stock for the free shop (mostly clothes/costumes and also a large bag of fabric rags for craft projects and some assorted bits & pieces of junk). I don't have transport, however, or know of anyone who has.

So if the Forest would like this stuff, could someone get in touch with me to arrange pickup? I'm in Tollcross and my number is 07941 144884. Ideally I'm hoping whoever is picking the stuff up could do so after 10pm one evening this week as I work until that time and also it's less hassle to park.

Could you also let me know if you don't want the stuff as in that case I will offer it to a charity shop.